My regular complaint is sites overshadowed by a boundary of high trees, spoiling views and often rendering the place dark and melancholy; happy to say then that Burrs Country Park site has an open aspect and is all the better for it.
Sites are never quite what one has imagined but this was close. I’d pictured something bigger, and more rural, but it is a good location nonetheless with lots of enjoyable, but very busy, walks – some of the best by the river. I found that when one got more off the beaten track paths were awfully muddy which I hate – even with good walking shoes or boots. The surrounding countryside, on the edge of the Pennines, is attractive.
It is churlish, and perhaps trivialising, I admit it, to grumble about the cobbled road leading to the site; but this is hard on the feet, bone-shaking in the extreme on a bike and a riotous, rattling experience in my motorhome. I know why it is retained, and I am all for preserving heritage, but it seemed a bit futile to me given that there is very little left of the mills that once stood here. This is no Crich or Beamish and I see no valuable purpose to preserving this feature – except perhaps the last very short stretch just before the entrance. Obviously, the CC have no control over this.
The loo block was decidedly ugly but inside spotless and looking newer than the outside. There was no chemical disposal in the loo block which I thought odd. I’ve not noticed a loo block without such a facility before, but perhaps that is just because I have not looked. I will use an “outdoor” one if it is nearer to my pitch. I had a serviced pitch which was big and highly satisfactory. I had little choice on arrival so I did find myself in front of the said toilet block which would not have been my choice given a free hand. But that is circumstance. It’s just that such places seem to be a meeting point.
I only spoke to one warden but she was lovely and friendly and helpful. The town centre is quite close by foot or bike. It took me 33 minutes to walk to the tram and bus station and much less on the bike. There is an hourly bus, not on Sundays or Bank Holidays, a few minutes’ walk from the site but I did not use that.
The Wi-fi, as usual, was slow, but workable, just. Using the TV point on the bollard, the reception was watchable but the signal was frequently lost. I’m beginning to wonder if this might just be my set. I rarely seem to get good reception from these TV points in the bollards and find myself almost always moaning about it. Am I alone in this?
I found the site could be a bit noisy. The adjacent park was busy (it was a bank holiday weekend) and on one occasion a large group of younger people gathered. On the Sunday there was fairly loud music from the Brown Cow pub. On the whole Sunday was bustling, busy and noisy but Monday was peaceful, reflective and, frankly, just how I like it. Such is the changing dynamic of sites; but on the whole I liked this place a good deal.
